The Indians have named Terry Francona their next manager, with a formal announcement to be made Monday morning at Progressive Field.

The deal will likely be for at least three years and, based on Francona's salary in Boston, will probably be worth $3 million to $4 million per year. That would make Francona the highest-paid manager in Indians history.

Just 10 days after the firing of Manny Acta, which triggered rampant and well-founded speculation that bench coach/manager-in-waiting Sandy Alomar Jr. would get the job, the choice instead is Francona, a two-time World Series winner as manager of the Boston Red Sox.

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That Francona was even interested in the Indians' job was a surprise, given the plight of the team. The Indians are coming off a 94-loss season, ownership doesn't spend big on free agency, and the minor-league system doesn't have any immediate help poised to contribute at the major-league level.

Despite all that, Francona had an interest in the job, and when he tossed his hat into the ring, it effectively knocked over the ring.

Having managed the Red Sox from 2004 through 2011, winning the World Series in 2004 (the Sox's first World Series title since 1918) and again in 2007, Francona is a high-profile, marquee name, whose credentials easily trumped those of the popular Alomar, who has never managed professionally anywhere -- major or minor leagues.

Francona, moreover, brings instant and much-needed credibility to the Indians' management team, and to a front office that had as bad a year as did the fired Acta.

Francona, 53, managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997 to 2000. Between his stints with Philadelphia and Boston, Francona worked for a year with the Indians, in 2001, as a special assistant to General Manager Mark Shapiro. It was then that Francona forged an enduring relationship with Shapiro and Antonetti that has led to him becoming the 42nd manager in Indians history.

Francona's father, Tito, played for Indians managers Nos. 19, 20, 21 and 22 (Joe Gordon, Jimmie Dykes, Mel McGaha and Birdie Tebbetts) from 1959-1964, which Francona has mentioned as being another reason he was attracted to the job.

Francona was in Cleveland on Friday to interview for the job. Alomar interviewed on Thursday. There were no other candidates brought to Cleveland for interviews.

There still might be a managerial door open to Alomar, however. A year ago, he was interviewed by the Red Sox for the job that eventually went to Bobby Valentine, who was fired last week. Alomar is already being mentioned in Boston as a potential candidate, and there are reports he has been offered a spot on Francona's coaching staff with the Indians.